Iranian Activist's Son 'Attacked' In Turkey

April 06, 2011

A political activist close to Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karrubi and now living in Turkey says that his 16-year-old son has been attacked, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports.

Majid Niknam, who was a member of Karrubi's presidential election campaign headquarters in Mazandaran province, told Radio Farda on April 5 that the attack may have been because of his political activity.

He said that after the June 2009 presidential election, he was under pressure from the security forces and Intelligence Ministry officials because of his affiliation with Karrubi and had to leave the country with his family. He said he has received repeated threats.

Niknam said he planned to organize a memorial ceremony for the father of another opposition leader -- Mir Hossein Musavi -- who died last week. While Niknam's son was going to fetch something from a friend's house for the ceremony, he was attacked.

"Someone called his name, and then started to beat him, trying to stab him with a knife," Niknam said.

Niknam said he and a number of activists have founded the Association of Solidarity of Activists in Exile to continue their political activities abroad. Niknam also said he informed the United Nations in Turkey that he has been under threat but it has not addressed his problem so far.